


When We First Met

by supremethunder



Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Black in Fanfiction Collection, Black!Reader - Freeform, F/M, Female Character of Color, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2018-08-30 19:18:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8545915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supremethunder/pseuds/supremethunder
Summary: Over the years of riding the New York City Subway as transportation, Peter Parker had come across many interesting things.  The one thing he had yet to come across on the subway until today was a 6 feet tall Asgardian warrior.Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader





	1. First Glance

**Author's Note:**

> After hours of brainstorming, I managed to churn out this series. This will be a 10-part story inspired by the following [imagine](http://starks-imagines.tumblr.com/post/145250195041/you-look-familiar-loki-glared-at-you-you)
> 
> Oh and just so you know, the Peter Parker in this story is the one who features in _Spiderman: Homecoming_.

Peter was exhausted. He pulled an all-nighter studying for his midterm exams after staying out late the night before crime fighting as Spider-Man, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed and sleep until next week. Unfortunately, Peter would have to suffer through a thirty minute ride home on a crowded subway before he could get some much needed rest.

“E...Excuse me, sorry, coming through.” Peter apologized as he maneuvered through a crowd of people to step inside the subway.  


As luck would have it, he managed to snag an empty seat on the subway. Peter sighed in relief before he set his backpack down on the floor between his feet once he sat down. 

_Now I just have to stay awake long enough until I reach my stop._ Peter pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and plugged in his headphones to tune out the noises around him. 

He allowed his mind to wander as he looked down at his phone, scrolling aimlessly through news articles and funny YouTube videos while occasionally looking up at the window across from him. When Peter took the time to look up from his phone, his eyes had landed on a female figure sitting across from him. He found himself doing a double take as his eyes took in her appearance. She wore a (f/c) duffel coat with a long pleated skirt and sunglasses. Sensing Peter’s gaze, the woman looked up from the book she appeared to be reading, and tilted down her sunglasses far enough to reveal her piercing gold hues.

 _Holy shit…_ Peter marveled.

Peter couldn’t help but wonder if they were real or just fancy contacts. By the time he realized he had been blatantly staring at a stranger, he quickly looked away and back down at his phone. Despite his brain telling him not to, Peter found himself stealing a second glance at her. He was surprised to discover the woman staring back at him with a smile that made his heart begin to race. As Peter gazed at her more closely, he also realized the woman appeared to be close to his age, maybe a year or two older than he was. Peter wasn’t sure exactly how old she was. One thing he was sure of: he had to say something.

_Say something, stupid! Say hello, say anything! Peter licked his lips as he racked his brain on how to articulate his thoughts properly._

“U...Uh… I…” Peter quickly became red-faced by his own effusiveness.

He tried to get his brain and mouth to collaborate with each other, but they just didn’t want to work the way he wanted them to.

Before Peter could babble any further, the subway slowly screeched to a halt as it arrived at another stop. Peter watched as the woman stood up from her seat, held her book firm against her chest before she proceeded to leave the subway. Much to Peter’s surprise, the woman appeared to be taller than most of the other female subway riders. With her tall stature, gold hues, and the way she carried herself, she gave off the impression that she was no ordinary woman. Peter would probably go as far to say she looked like an Amazon woman.

“Farwell…” The woman said, shooting Peter one last smile before she got off the subway.

Peter watched her figure disappear into the crowd of people getting off the subway until he could no longer see her. Peter sat there dumbfounded at what he just witnessed, running a hand through his hair. He began to wonder who that woman was and would he ever see her again?

 _Yeah, right._ Peter dismissed the idea from his thoughts. _What are the chances I’d see her again in a place like New York City? She’s probably visiting just like any other tourist._

Little did Peter know that would not be the last time he would be able to steal a glance at the woman he dubbed the Amazon woman.


	2. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some time before work and managed to whip this up. It'll probably be a little while before the third chapter is released.

It had been one week since Peter’s first encounter with the Amazon woman on the subway.  Since their encounter, Peter had been enjoying his time off from school for the summer.  Now that he had more free time on his hands, Tony had propositioned to Peter to pay a visit to the Avengers Tower to get acquainted with the facilities as well as his future comrades.

“This place is just… just unbelievable. I mean, wow.” Peter said as he followed behind Tony who was providing him a tour.

“It’s great, isn’t it?” Tony replied, a smirk gracing his lips. “It’s candy land for superheroes.”

“Yeah, it’s more than great actually. This place is awesome.” Peter gushed.

“Oh stop, you’re making me blush.” Tony shook his head with amusement.

So far, Peter had been given a tour of the floors devoted to research as well as Tony’s private office and was about to explore the top floor of the building that was reserved for parties and entertainment.

“As you can see this is the lounge area.  A place reserved to unwind after a long day of crime fighting.  You need to relax, get a drink, or repose, this is the place to be.”

“I can definitely get used to unwinding here.” Peter sat down on one of the counter stools in front of the bar.

Tony stood behind the bar as he poured himself a drink in a bar glass before he took a small sip.

“Speaking of which, I need to do a little unwinding myself after that tour.  In case you haven’t noticed, this place is huge and it’s gonna take more than a couple of hours to explore this tower from top to bottom.”

“As big as this tower is, I’m not surprised.” Peter said with a small nod.

“And it looks like we won’t be the only ones unwinding here today.” Tony indicated behind Peter with a short jerk of his head.

“Huh?” Peter turned to look over his shoulder to see the Amazon woman he saw on the train last week.  His jaw went slack as his brown eyes stared back into her piercing gold ones again.

“Come to join our little party, (Name)?” Tony asked.

“Of course,” (Name) said, not missing a beat. “I always enjoy a good revel.”

“Then take a seat.”

Peter froze in his seat as (Name) took the counter stool next to him, resting her arms on the bar table.  It took a moment for Peter to collect his thoughts and speak while he tried to wrap his mind around what was going on.

“How do…How do you two…know each other?” Peter asked, his eyes flitting back and forth between Tony and (Name).

“Peter, allow me to introduce you to our newest addition to the team, (Name).” Tony said, gesturing towards (Name) with a hand. “Thor brought her here all the way from Asgard to join our gang.  Isn’t that somethin’?”

“Well, technically, I’ve been assigned to act as a secondary protector for Earth when Thor isn’t here. But yes, I’m an Avenger more or less.” (Name) said, elaborating further.

“W-Wait so you… you know Thor? Thor as in the God of Thunder, Thor?”

“Yes, the one and only.”

“So there you have it.  Any other questions?” Tony interjected.

Peter opened his mouth to speak but eventually closed it and instead shook his head in reply.  As overwhelming as the situation was for Peter, he didn’t want (Name) to feel overwhelmed too by his barrage of questions.  At least not now.

“N-No, I’m good.” Peter said.

“Good because unfortunately I have to take this.” Tony held up his vibrating cell phone for emphasis. “Think you can keep Spider-Man here busy while I take care of some business?”

“Of course, Tony.” (Name) said with a gentle smile.

“Thanks, kid.” Tony grabbed his drink before he walked out from behind the bar and headed towards the elevator to take the phone call.

Peter watched Tony disappear behind the elevator doors before he slowly turned to face (Name).  He couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated being alone with (Name). She was strikingly beautiful, but also had piercing eyes that looked as if they could see through any façade he’d try to put up.

“So, uh… you’re from Asgard, huh?  What’s it like living there?” Peter asked.

(Name) couldn’t help but giggle in reply.  It was obvious that Peter was nervous, and was trying to strike up a conversation to break the ice and tension.  Much to Peter’s surprise, (Name) didn’t seem to mind.

“Far different than Earth,” (Name) said. “But I’ve always had a special interest in Earth.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, the Earth is full of such life and filled with so many interesting things.  Watching humans interact with one another, the various cultures and values, it’s all so different and unique.  Having the sensory capabilities to watch these events from Asgard and experiencing them on Earth are two different things.”

“Well, as a fellow Earthling myself, I couldn’t agree more.”

“It’s good to know there are humans who believe in that idea.  For years, I’ve watched this world beside my father flourish and thrive.  I’ve also seen this world descend into disorder and mayhem, and that’s why I’m here.  Humans are only given a finite amount of time to leave an impact, and I want to be part of that.  I know I can’t cleanse all of Earth’s despair and destruction, but that does not mean I can’t watch over it and protect it as I would for Asgard.”

“Y-Yeah…” Peter slowly nodded in agreement, dumbfounded by her words.

After hearing (Name) speak so passionately about protecting Earth, Peter couldn’t help but empathize.  After all, Peter had become Spider-Man so that he could stop the bad things from happening when there were people just like him who were powerless to do so.  Those were the people he fought for.  To hear someone else feel the same way made Peter feel that this was a future comrade he could count on.


	3. Exchange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially didn't plan for the third chapter to turn out like this, but so far I'm satisfied with the direction it's going. :DD

“Hi-YA!” Peter shouted a battle cry as he delivered another roundhouse kick to the large punching bag in front of him.

The _Imperial March_ theme played from his earbuds as Peter continued sending a series of kicks and punches towards the punching bag in front of him. A small smile of satisfaction graced his lips as the punching bag was sent flying and landed on the opposite side of the room. Somehow, spending the afternoon self-training in the Avengers Tower with Darth Vader’s theme music in the background made Peter feel like a badass.

“Maybe the force was with me in that last move.” Peter said aloud, chuckling to himself.

“What forces are you working with?”

Peter looked over his shoulder to see (Name) had come into the gym, who appeared to be confused by his choice of words. He smiled sheepishly, pausing the music that was playing on a loop on his iPod.

“Oh, uh… it’s nothing.” Peter said with a shy smile, slipping the iPod back into his pocket. “It’s a reference to _Star Wars_.”

“ _Star Wars_? What’s that?” (Name)’s brows knitted together, baffled by the popular franchise name.

“Really? You never heard of _Star Wars_ before?” Peter asked with slight disbelief.

(Name) simply shook her head in reply, unfazed by Peter’s disbelief. “I’m afraid not.”

“Oh, right. I guess _Star Wars_ isn’t a thing on Asgard.”

“Could you elaborate?” 

“Oh man! You seriously gotta see it, (Name)!” Peter insisted with a grin. “It’s awesome! It’s this really old movie from the 80’s, well there’s more than one _Star Wars_ movie, but I really like episode five. You see, it’s a story about this guy named Luke Skywalker, right? And he has this weapon called a lightsaber and…”

(Name) watched on with light amusement as Peter continued to gush over the characters in the film and the plot itself. Even though (Name) didn’t understand what a lightsaber was or who Luke Skywalker was, she couldn’t help but take pleasure in watching Peter get so excited over something. It was adorable watching Peter gesture elaborately with a giddy smile and hand gestures. When Peter realized he had done nothing but babble about _Star Wars_ for the last few minutes, he couldn’t help but blush.

“Sorry, I sort of got carried away.” Peter rubbed the back of his head.

“Nonsense, I don’t mind at all, Peter.” (Name) reassured.

“W-Wait, seriously?”

“Why wouldn’t I be serious? It sounds like a very entertaining story. In fact, I think I like that character Princess Leia you mentioned. She sounds like a fine warrior.”

Peter had half expected for (Name) to tease him about getting excited over a sci-fi franchise. If he had reacted the same way in front of some of the other students at school, they’d taunt him or snub him for it. Thankfully, (Name) wasn’t the type of person to ridicule someone for their interests. It suddenly dawned on Peter that this was a moment to take advantage of and to strike while the iron was hot. Before Peter could lose his nerve, he sputtered the suggestion that started to plague his mind.

“You think so? Then maybe we could… uh, watch it… together sometime? Maybe?” Peter proposed.

“I don’t see why not.” (Name) said with a warm smile.

“Awesome! I mean, cool, uh, great… yeah. I-I look forward to it.”

“Me too.”

Not only was Peter going on his first date. He was going on a first date with an Asgardian warrior who was just as strong as she was beautiful.


	4. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while for me to decide what I was gonna do in this chapter, but I decided to keep it simple. :D

“So, let me get this straight…” Ned said. “You met this really cute girl on the subway, and you asked her out to watch a Star Wars film and she’s never even heard of Star Wars?”

“Yeah, that’s basically the gist of it.” Peter said with a nod as he paced back and forth across Ned’s room.

“That’s crazy. I’m happy for you and all, Peter, but the fact that she doesn’t even know what Star Wars is, is just mind blowing. You HAVE to be living under a rock or from another planet to not know about Star Wars.”

 _Funny you should say that._ Peter thought, laughed nervously at his friend’s choice of words.

Shortly after Peter asked out (Name) on a date to watch a movie, he decided to confide in his closest friend and classmate, Ned, for advice on how to plan for his upcoming date accordingly. When Peter confessed how he managed to get a date with a young woman that he met on the subway, Ned’s first instinct was to bombarded Peter with questions. Peter made sure to leave out any details related to her connection to Asgard and the Avengers, and focused talking about the qualities he had come to admire about (Name): Her inquisitive nature for different cultures and customs, her kindness, and her unwavering resolve to make a difference in her own way. At first, Peter was excited about going on a date with (Name). Once Peter remembered he had never been on a date, the excitement wore off. His excitement was replaced with a mixture of fear and anxiety, which settled at the bottom of his stomach like a rock.

“Peter, calm down. You’re just gonna watch a movie together at your house.” Ned said. “It’s not like you’re asking for her hand in marriage.”

“I know, I know.” Peter sighed. “But what if I somehow screw this date up by doing or saying something that makes her feel uncomfortable? What am I supposed to do then, Ned?”

“What every after school special has taught us: be yourself.” Ned gave Peter a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Peter rolled his eyes in reply, but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. As cliché as it sounded, Ned was right. (Name) seemed to be interested in Peter, or at least interested in him enough to watch a movie with him. Alone.

“Hopefully, everything goes well on Saturday.” Peter said.

“Yeah, here’s to hoping.” Ned agreed.

**[-]**

Saturday had arrived and Peter was a bundle of nerves. (Name) was from Asgard and Peter wasn’t sure how a typical Asgardian had fun so he couldn’t help but occasionally doubt watching a movie with some junk food would be fun to her. At the very least, she would appreciate Peter bringing something sweet for her to try.

“So far, so good.” Peter looked down at his bag, which carried a few treats he planned to share with (Name) while watching the film. The only thing he didn’t plan for was for (Name) to show up early when he stepped inside the apartment.

 _Oh god, oh, god, oh god._ Peter’s eyes widened in a panic when he spotted his Aunt May on the living room couch, talking to (Name).

The two women halted their conversation and turned to look over at Peter standing in the doorway.

“(Name), w-what are… what’re you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming over till later… n-not that I don’t want you here.” Peter said, completely flustered by (Name)’s early arrival.

“I hope it’s not too much trouble that I came a few minutes early.” (Name) said. “I was waiting outside your door and your Aunt May invited me in when I asked for you.”

“No, no. It’s no trouble.” Peter shook his head.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aunt May, flashing a teasing smile in Peter’s direction. “I would’ve made something had I known you were having company over today.”

“I-I was going to when I came back from the store today, but (Name) sort of beat me to it.”

“Well, don’t let me two keep you. I’ve got errands that I need to run.” Aunt May stood up from the couch before she turned to smile at (Name). “It was nice meeting you, (Name). You’re welcome here anytime.”

“Likewise, Ms. Parker.” (Name) said, returning the smile. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Peter watched his Aunt May grab her purse from the counter before disappearing behind the front door. Peter faced (Name), a look of panic clear on his face.

“You don’t have to worry, Peter.” (Name) reassured. “I maintained full disclosure of your Spider-Man alias as well as your affiliation with The Avengers as well as my own.”

“Okay, good.” Peter sighed in relief, placing a hand over his chest. “But wait a minute. If you guys didn’t talk about that, what did you two talk about?”

“About how we were introduced through the Stark Internship. Tony informed me that’s what I should tell other people if anyone asks.”

“Cool, cool.” Peter nodded. “So uh, are you ready to watch _Star Wars_?”

“Of course. I’ve really been looking forward to this.”

Peter smiled at her words in reply, his anxiety and fears he felt earlier dissipating.

“Well, I brought some food, well, not really food, candy. So, help yourself while I get the movie and we’ll watch it together.”

“Okay.”

Peter set the bag of candy on the table before he walked into his room to search for the DVD. (Name) opened the bag and browsed through the various and colorful packaging of each candy before she picked one up.

“Pop…Rocks?” (Name) read aloud carefully.

(Name) stood there mentally debating her first choice of candy before she took the plunge and open the package. She poured a small handful of Pop Rocks into her hand and put them in her mouth. She stood there quietly until she felt a tingling sensation on her tongue and her mouth.

“What in the nine realms is this?” (Name) cried in a slight alarm.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Peter dashed out of his room upon hearing (Name) confusion.

(Name) held up the package to Peter and he stood there dumbfound until he realized (Name) was eating the Pop Rocks he bought earlier.

“Don’t worry. They’re supposed to do that.” Peter said, fighting to urge to laugh but failing to hide his smile.

“Oh… the packaging makes sense now. I did not expect it to be quite so… literal.”

Once the Pop Rocks wore off, Peter picked up the Starburst.

“Here, try one.” Peter said, offering her a Starburst.

“So this candy is made of stars and it burst in your mouth when you eat it? That sounds quite painful.”

“No, no, it’s not like that. It’s really good. I promise. I’ll even try one with you.”

“…Okay.”

Peter and (Name) unwrapped their Starburst before popping it in their mouth.

“Wow. It’s really juicy and sweet.”

“Told ya.”

By the time they polished off the Starburst, (Name) was eager to taste and try even more. It didn’t take long for the two of them to finish the candy that was left in the bag.

“That was… marvelous. Truly marvelous.” (Name) said with a satisfied smile.

“I’m glad you liked it.” Peter said. “But looks like we don’t have any more candy to eat while we watch the movie.”

“Oh, I completely forgot. I’m sorry!” (Name) put a hand over her mouth.

“It’s okay. We can always get more. We can pick different candy to eat.”

“You have more candy to choose from than what you brought?”

“Yeah, tons. Probably more than I can name off the top of my head.”

“Peter… would you mind taking me to the place where you got all this candy? I’d love to see what else there is to try.”

“Sure, yeah. We can do that.”

****

[-]

After they decided to watch the movie once they’ve made another candy run, Peter and (Name) headed out into the city together on the subway before they eventually arrived at a local candy store. (Name) stood inside the store, taken aback by the several shelves littered with colorful candies she had yet to try.

“Peter, are you sure this isn’t Valhalla? Because I think I’ve just died and went there.” (Name) said in a whisper.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Just take your time and pick out what you like and we’ll take it back with us.”

(Name) nodded eagerly before she made a beeline for the shelf with Hershey Bars and Kit-Kats. Peter laughed as he watched (Name) browse the store with a light in her eyes that could only resemble a young child that had made a new, exciting discovery. It was charming in Peter’s eyes, and it reminded him despite where (Name) was from or what powers she possessed, she was someone who also found pleasure in the little things in life. Something Peter had come to admire about her.


	5. Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last week was my birthday and I decided since the next prompt was about gifts, I’d make it about the reader’s birthday. :D

Peter stood in front of the door that led to (Name)’s room before he gave a sharp rap against the door.

“(Name), it’s Peter.” Peter said.

“Enter.” (Name) replied.

Peter turned the doorknob and pushed the door open as he entered her room, but not without doing a double-take of the full-length mirror (Name) stood in front of. The mirror didn’t show an image of her reflection, but an image of a man with piercing gold hues, much like the ones (Name) had. He had dark brown skin and donned a set of heavy gold platted armor and a gold helmet with horns on top.

“Um, am I…did I come at a bad time?” Peter asked as he stood slack-jawed with amazement. 

“Not at all. You have perfect timing.” (Name) said with a soft smile. She motioned Peter to step forward before she gestured a hand to the mirror. “Peter, I’d like you to meet my father, the guardian of Asgard and guard of the _Bifrost Bridge_ , Heimdall.”

Peter cautiously approached the mirror before a nervous smile graced his lips. When he came over the Avengers Tower to visit (Name) to hang out, he certainly didn’t expect to be meeting her father. Had Peter known beforehand, he would’ve prepared in advance how to properly greet Heimdall. At the very least prepared enough so that Heimdall would think Peter was competent enough to speak the English language. With only seconds to prepare an introduction, Peter said the first thing that came to his mind.

“It’s uh… nice to meet you… sir.” Peter said as he held up a shaky, sweaty hand. He mentally kicked himself for his awkward reply.

Thankfully, Heimdall wasn’t put off by Peter’s uneasiness. Who could blame him? Heimdall was a powerful being and a forced to be reckoned with. His appearance and stance easily commanded respect and his appearance alone showcased just how big of a role he played on Asgard.

“I’ve heard quite a few things about you, Peter.” Heimdall said with a gentle smile. “It does my heart good to hear that my daughter has met someone as passionate and driven to protect Midgard as she has.”

Peter couldn’t help but beam with pride, his face growing hot.

“Thank you. I’ve really enjoyed working with (Name). To be honest, it’s an honor to work with someone like her. There’s nobody else out there like her.” Peter said.

Much to (Name)’s surprise, Heimdall roared with laughter. Not a laugh of derision, but of appreciation. Appreciation for Peter speaking with sincerity and kindness about his daughter.

“I couldn’t agree more. She truly is one of a kind. I entrust that you’ll continue to look out for her.” Heimdall said.

“Of course. Without a doubt.” Peter nodded his head.

Upon hearing Peter’s determination to look out for (Name) as promised made her heart do a small leap inside her chest. She briefly averted her gaze from Peter and let it wander on a random corner of the wall before she turned her focus back to the mirror. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

“I’m glad I had a chance to talk with you again, Father. I’ll contact you again soon.” (Name) smiled.

“I look forward to it. You two take care.” Heimdall replied, returning the smile.

(Name) slowly waved a hand over the mirror before the image of Heimdall slowly faded away, leaving behind a plain full-length mirror.

Peter stared at the mirror silently for about another minute before he turned to face (Name), excitement etched on his face.

“That was so cool!” Peter said, his eyes lighting up with jubilance. “How did you do that? How did I NOT know you could do something like that?”

“Oh, it’s just an incantation.” (Name) shrugged, rubbing her shoulder awkwardly. “I can enchant objects with different magical abilities. Like use a mirror to look at others from far away. It’s one of the few magical abilities I learned from the Queen of Asgard when I was a child.”

“Oh, so it’s like Asgard’s version of _FaceTime_ then?”

“Exactly. Wait, what’s _FaceTime_?”

“It’s an app that you use on your phone to… well, never mind. I’ll explain later.” Peter, said waving it off in a dismissive manner “Anyway, I take you two had a lot to talk about since this is your first time here.”

“Not really. My father just contacted me to tell me happy birthday, and see how I’m doing. My father can see and hear nearly everything that happens on this planet, including the other realms, but he still likes to occasionally check in with me.”

“Oh, that’s nice of him. Wait a minute. Did you say your birthday is today?” Peter said in disbelief.

“That’s right. We generally don’t celebrate birthdays on Asgard, but my father still likes to wish me happy birthday. It’s tradition not to acknowledge one’s day of birth on Asgard, and instead acknowledge that everyone on Asgard becomes a year older with each new year that arrives.”

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was (Name)’s birthday and she wasn’t going to celebrate it?

“Are you serious? But your birthday is worth celebrating!” Peter exclaimed. “At least with some cake and candles or something.”

(Name) laughed, and shook her head in amusement. “There’s no need for that, Peter.”

“Of course there is. You’ve never had the chance to celebrate it on Earth, so why not start this year?”

“I see your point. All right, how should we celebrate this day? I understand there’s cake and candles and you make a wish, but that’s about all I know I’m afraid.” (Name) said with a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” Peter reassured. “I promise to make this a birthday to remember.”

“All right then. I’ll leave it to you. What’s on the agenda?”

Peter went quiet for a moment before he rubbed the back of his head, deep in thought.

“Actually… could you give me about an hour? This might take a while.”

“Sure. Let’s meet back here in an hour.”

[-]

After agreeing to meet back in (Name)’s room, Peter raced out of her room like a bat out of hell and out into the busy streets of Time Square to find the perfect gift for her. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks: Peter had no idea what to get (Name) for her birthday. He knew (Name) had a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate.

 _I can’t just get her chocolate._ Peter set down the Hershey bar and walked out the Hershey store and down the street. _Maybe some earrings or a bracelet?_

After looking at several different display windows filled with gaudy jewelry, Peter realized it only reminded him just how expensive it was shopping in Times Square.

“Now that’s definitely out of my price range…” Peter shook his head, a down casted look in his eyes.

Peter didn’t have much money to his name and he didn’t want to ask Tony for money. Sure, if Tony got involved and helped fund Peter’s expensive ideas, it would be elaborate to say the least. But that was the last thing he wanted to do. Peter didn’t want to rely on Tony to plan (Name)’s birthday. He wanted to do it on his own, but he was starting to realize the more he tried planning it on his own, the closer he was reaching his hour deadline. With a sigh of defeat, he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and turned it off sleep mode to make a call.

“Hey, Aunt May. Do you have a minute? I need some advice…” Peter said.

[-]

“I wonder what’s taking Peter.” (Name) said aloud. “I hope he’s not going through too much trouble…”

An hour had come and gone and Peter was nowhere to be found. (Name) waited patiently in her room, keeping herself occupied with a book. After nearly two hours, (Name) could no longer focus on her book and started to get worried. What if something had happened to Peter? After all, Times Square was a pretty big city. After growing increasingly impatient with waiting around, she decided to look for Peter.

(Name) set down her book and sat down in front of her full-length mirror and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes, they changed from gold to orange. She continued to take slow and even deep breaths as she carefully searched for Peter through her omni-senses. Unlike her father’s omni-senses, (Name)’s omni-senses could only be used in small intervals. Thankfully, it only took seconds for (Name) to locate Peter before she pulled herself back to reality, her eyes changing back to their normal shade.

(Name) stood up from her chair and opened the door to her room to find Peter wearing a backpack.

“Sorry I’m late. You ready, birthday girl?”

(Name) smiled at Peter and nodded. “Ready when you are.”

[-]

After walking a few blocks to catch the subway, (Name) and Peter arrived near the south end entrance to Central Park. They walked together side-by-side, having small talk while enjoying the sights of the flowers on the lawn, the birds and other small animals thriving in the pond nearby. It was peaceful and serene.

“I never would’ve thought a place like this existed outside your city. It’s gorgeous.” (Name) said with a dreamy expression.

“Yeah, New York is full of surprises. Central Park is a massive park, so we won’t be able to explore all of it today. But on the upside, we can take a pedicab to show us around.” Peter pointed at the parked pedicab down a pathway.

“A pedi-what?” (Name) raised an eyebrow.

“You’ll see.”

Peter ushered her to follow as Peter flagged down the man in the pedicab. After they sat down on the back of the pedicab, Peter asked the pedicab driver to tour the south side of Central Park. After Peter made his request, the pedicab pedaled off down the road.

“This is certainly a convenient way to travel around the park.” (Name) leaned back into the seat.

“Yeah, it definitely beats walking.” Peter said with a laugh.

They passed through the Sheep Meadow, Central Park’s largest lawn and designated quiet zone, and Literary Walk, which showcased prominent writers such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Their tour came to an end with the carousel. (Name) and Peter hopped off the pedicab before Peter paid the driver and waved him off.

“I bet Asgard doesn’t have a carousel like this.” Peter said, flashing her a teasing smile.

“Nope, you’ve got us beat there. We don’t have those.” (Name) said with a giggle.

“Awesome. Score one for New York City.”

“Oh, we’re keeping score now?”

“Yup.”

(Name) rolled her eyes, smiling with amusement as she followed Peter to ride the carousel.

[-]

“This has been so much fun. I can’t believe there’s still ground to cover in this park.” (Name) sighed as she stretched her body out on the blanket Peter had set up on the grass.

“Really? I was a little worried you might have gotten a little bored just taking a tour around the park and riding the carousel. I was kind of hoping I could’ve gotten you a gift like some jewelry or something. But it was too expensive.” Peter confessed.

“Bored? Why would I be bored?” (Name) sat up, staring at Peter incredulous. “You’ve shown me so many things today that I’ve never had the chance to experience in my life. See the wildlife in your world, enjoy the sights, and even ride a carousel. This was a wonderful gift, Peter. A lot better than jewelry.”

Peter stared wide-eyed at her words that he couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m glad I was able to show you a taste of New York today, even if I couldn’t show you all of it. I do have one more thing I want you to taste though.”

(Name) stared at Peter quizzically as she watched Peter take his backpack off his shoulders he brought and rummaged through it before he pulled out a small paper bag. He withdrew a small chocolate _hostess_ cupcake from the bag, a candle, and a lighter.

“It’s not as big as a cake, but you can still taste it and make a wish.” Peter put the candle inside the cupcake and used the lighter to light the wick.

(Name)’s eyes lit up with joy upon seeing the cupcake and candle. She gently took the cupcake in her hands and closed her eyes and blew out the candle.

“So, what’d you wish for?” Peter asked with a teasing smile.

“Nothing. I already got what I wished for.” (Name) said.

“And what’s that?”

“To spend my first birthday on Earth with you.”

At that moment, the tightness Peter felt in his chest, his racing heartbeat, and his sweaty palms told him that (Name) was not only someone he respected and admired, but also someone he was starting to fall for.


	6. Holding Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the late update on this series everyone. I've been feeling uninspired for a while until recently. Only 3 more chapters to go.

“Back-to-school shopping?” (Name) said, confusion evident on her face.

“Yeah, school is about to start and I need to buy my school supplies for the new school year.” Peter explained. “Did you… wanna come?”

“Sure. I’m curious as to what sort of supplies you will need.”

Peter smiled on the outside but felt giddy on the inside. He had rehearsed in his head a couple of times the past few days how he’d invite (Name) to hang out. Sure, it wasn’t an official date, but the chance to share his customs and his way of life wasn’t an opportunity Peter could miss.

“Okay, let’s go.” Peter ushered (Name) to follow him as they left the Avengers Tower together and out onto the busy streets of New York.

[-]

As Peter and (Name) rode the busy subway together to their first stop, Peter told (Name) about what a typical day was like at school. It might have sounded mundane to some, but to (Name) it was enjoyable listening to Peter talk about his academic life. When he saw (Name)’s eyes light up with jubilance and curiosity and her lips curve into that smile of hers he could help but ramble on about every little detail. The more he watched her respond to his words, the more he experienced a reeling sensation in his chest. And it was making it that much harder for Peter to stop rambling.

“I’m sorry.” Peter apologized with a nervous smile. “I didn’t mean to ramble on like that. I never even asked you about what school was like for you.”

“It’s okay. I like hearing you talk about your school and your life. There’s no reason to apologize for it.” (Name) said.

“But enough about my school. What was school like for you back home?” Peter asked.

“Well, I actually didn’t get any formal schooling growing up.” (Name) confessed.

“Really?” Peter said, slightly taken aback.

“Well, nothing taught in a classroom anyway. My father was the one who taught me what I know about my home and how it’s connected to all the nine realms. The only formal education I had was with Frigga. I had begged my father to convince her to teach me what she knew about the art of sorcery since I didn’t want to just rely on my omni-senses when defending myself or Asgard.”

“Wow. Your education sounds way better than mine.” Peter said. “It puts my school to shame. It must’ve been cool to learn stuff like that.”

“Yeah, it was.” (Name) nodded. “I still have much to learn.”

“You and me both.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve got that in common.”

The subway slowly grinded to a halt before the doors opened on each side, several people walking on and off the subway.

“Oh, this is our stop. C’mon, we gotta hurry and catch the next one.” Peter stood up from his seat and grabbed (Name)’s hand without thinking, which surprised her but she nodded wordlessly.

Oddly enough, (Name) didn’t seem to mind as he pulled her along and through the onslaught of people. His hand was a little on the clammy side, but it was firm and comforting. It felt as if this was Peter’s way of reassuring her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she liked how it felt.

“Made it. With minutes to spare.” Peter sighed in relief, sitting down in an open seat next to (Name).

It finally dawned on Peter that he was still holding (Name)’s hand and he immediately released his hand from hers, his face now flushed.

“I-I’m sorry about that.” Peter said, laughing nervously.

 _Oh, crap, and my hands are sweaty too. I hope she’s not grossed out._ Peter immediately wiped the sweat off his hands on his pants.

Catching on to his obliviousness to what Peter had done, (Name) decided to tease him a little.

“Well, aren’t you bold?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

“I probably should’ve asked first, huh?”

“I don’t mind.” (Name) reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand. She laced her fingers with Peters and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Peter stared at her speechless for a moment before a shy smile curved his lips. It wasn’t how he imagined holding hands with a girl, but he wouldn’t have traded the moment in for anything.


	7. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to re-write this chapter a few times before I made up my mind and decided to put this up. Hope you enjoy. :D

Tony stood before (Name) and Peter, his arms crossed with an earnest expression. He took a deep breath before he exhaled and opened his mouth to speak.

“I’ve given it some thought.” Tony began. “And I’ve decided…”

“Yeah?” Peter urged.

“(Name) can go to school this year.” Tony said.

“YEEEES!” Peter and (Name) cheered in unison.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Peter babbled with excitement.

(Name) rushed to Tony’s side and picked him off the ground to embrace him.

“H-Hey! Put me down! Easy there.” Tony yelped.

“My apologies.” (Name) laughed and set Tony back down on his feet and he brushed himself off.

“Don’t get too excited all right? There’s gonna be some ground rules that I’m gonna need you both to follow if you’re gonna go to school, alright? As far as the school is concerned, (Name) is a normal high school girl who’s a transfer student from London, England and recently accepted into the Stark Internship.” Tony said.

“Wait, why London?” Peter inquired.

“Well her accent and formal dialect aren’t that different from those in England. Can’t exactly tell the school that she resides from Asgard if she wants to keep a low profile.” Tony explained.

“Good point.” Peter nodded.

“Secondly, since you’re acting as a normal high school student that means keeping your powers in check.”

“In check?” (Name) cocked her head to the side, unfamiliar with the phrase.

“No use of super-human abilities or magic.” Tony said with a firm tone.

“Aw, not even a little?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed under his breath. “Just act like a normal person who doesn’t have any powers. Period.”

“I only jest.” (Name) said. “I’ve learned from the best. Thor has told me how to blend in with other humans.”

“Oh yeah, that’s incredibly reassuring.” Tony said in a sarcastic tone. Tony recalled the last time Thor tried to wear a disguise and blend in and he wore nothing but a jacket with a hoody that was two sizes too small.

“No, honest. See, watch.” (Name)’s body gave off an ethereal glow before her body slowly transformed into a carbon copy of Loki donning his Asgard armor.

“Ta-dah.” (Name) now transformed as Loki bowed and grinned in a Loki-esque fashion.

“Really?” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose looking more disgruntled about his decision while Peter was completely blown away by the transformation and began poking at her limbs to make sure it was the real deal. “That’s your choice on how to blend in?”

“This is merely a demonstration. I assure you I wouldn’t walk into the school looking like this.”

“This is the coolest thing ever!” Peter gushed. “Seriously! How can you not be impressed?”

“Gee, I dunno. Maybe because she looks too much like the guy that tried to take over Earth and make us his mewling quims as he so eloquently put it. And I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that.”

“Fair enough.” (Name)’s body quickly transformed from Loki into a carbon copy of Pepper Pots. “Is this more your style?”

“Okay, not cool. Going below the belt now.” Tony warned.

(Name) removed the illusion and put her hand on her hip. “Not exactly the best choices, but as you can see if I ever need to blend in, that won’t be a problem.”

“Fine, you pass the inspection. Congratulations. Just one more thing.” Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone before he handed it to (Name). “Here’s a phone in case you need to reach me while you’re at school. Emergency use only. In other words, don’t call me unless I need to get involved. Understood?”

(Name) looked down at the device in her hands warily but nodded anyway.

“Peter, show her how to use it. It was hard enough trying to explain to Thor how email works.”

“Sure. You got it.” Peter nodded.

For once, Peter was looking forward to the first day of school.

[-]

The first day of school had finally come and Peter was anxious to start the day. He spent the last few weeks of summer break explaining (Name) the school rules, classes, and students to ensure (Name) blended in without any issues. Since shopping for clothes for tall girls wasn’t Peter’s forte, he sought the help from his Aunt May, which she enjoyed a lot more than Peter anticipated. When (Name) greeted him at his door wearing one of the outfits Aunt May helped her select, Peter knew he would have to thank her later.

“Wow, you look… you look great, (Name).” Peter said with a shy smile.

(Name) could tell by the warm blush rising to Peter’s cheeks that he meant what he said, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It was infectious.

“Why thank you, Peter. You don’t look so bad yourself.” (Name) returned the compliment. “You ready for your first day back?”

“Yeah, as I’ll ever be.” Peter’s blush only intensified hearing (Name)’s words. “How about you?”

“A little nervous to be honest, but I’m more excited than anything. I never thought I’d have the chance to experience the life of a high school student, and I have you to thank for that.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Of course it is! It was your idea that I start going to school in the first place. What better way to learn more about earth’s customs and cultures than getting an education here? You have no idea how much it means to me to have this opportunity, Peter.”

Peter’s body froze as (Name) reached out and gently cupped the side of his face with her hand, her thumb gently brushing against his cheek. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat as her face slowly inched closer to his own. Peter found himself standing on the tip of his toes to bring his face closer until the front door abruptly opened behind them.

“Peter, you forgot your—oh!” Aunt May stepped out from behind the door.

“Aunt May!” Peter’s voice cracked and jumped back in surprise. “I-I wasn’t…we weren’t—“

“It’s okay,” Aunt May reassured with a laugh. “Here’s your lunch. You two behave yourselves, okay?”

“We will.” (Name) smiled before she looked at Peter. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“O-Okay,” Peter said, still reeling from their almost-kiss.

[-]

(Name)’s first day began without a hitch and spent most of her first day getting acquainted with her classmates and being bombarded with questions about what life was like living in London. Thanks to reading up on the file Tony devised for (Name) and her experiences in London, (Name) answered the questions with ease. So far, keeping a low profile and being a normal student wasn’t so hard… until it came time for gym class.

“This is what constitutes as exercise?” (Name) stood in line behind several other students who were waiting to take a turn at climbing the rope dangling from the ceiling. Everyone else who had taken their turn were busy running laps or doing push-ups or sit ups.

“Basically,” Peter said. “I take it the exercise back home for you was pretty rigorous.”

“Very rigorous.” (Name) nodded.

(Name) and Peter waited for the student in front of them to climb down the rope. Much to Peter’s disdain, it was his rival, Flash Thompson. Once Flash climbed down the rope, he dusted off his hands.

“Be careful up there. It ain’t as easy as it looks, and it would be a shame if you were to mess up that pretty face of yours.” Flash said as he winked at (Name).

(Name) rolled her eyes, unable to hide her distaste at Flash’s condescending comment. Her training on Asgard was strenuous and physically taxing so a little rope climbing was child’s play in comparison.

“I’ll find a way to manage.” (Name) replied before she grabbed the rope with two hands.

Using her upper body strength, (Name) climbed up the rope in no time at all, earning her quite a few stares from the other students who were watching down below. Flash stood there, his jaw going slack as he watched her climb up to the top of the rope.

“I guess it is as easy as it looks.” (Name) smirked down below at Flash.

Well, so much for keeping a low profile. Peter couldn’t help but laugh watching Flash stared at (Name) completely and utterly dumbfounded. When Peter caught Flash stealing glances at (Name) at lunch, it stopped being funny.

[-]

“Why does he keep looking over here?” Peter grumbled under his breath, stabbing his school lunch with a plastic fork as he watched Flash look at (Name) for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

“Probably because Flash can’t stop thinking about what (Name) did in gym class.” Ned chirped. “It was so awesome! The way you had Flash gaping like a fish was pure gold.”

“Thanks,” (Name) smiled at Ned. “But I really wish he’d stop. It’s unnerving.”

Peter nodded silently, the thought of Flash showing an interest in (Name) was both unexpected and irritating, especially since Peter wasn’t too fond of him. As Peter racked his brain on what to do, he was suddenly hit with an idea. A bold idea.

 _It’s now or never._ Peter clenched his fists underneath the table as if to psyche himself up before he turned to face (Name).

“I’ve heard that sometimes public display of affection can make people uncomfortable. That might work.” Peter said, his eyes staring back into hers.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.” (Name) looked confused.

“It’s something I’d have to…uh, show you instead of telling you.”

And with those words, Peter leaned his body closer to hers and closed the gap between their lips with a gentle kiss. It took a couple of seconds for her mind to register what he just did before (Name) reacted. She slowly closed her eyes and allowed her body to move in sync with Peter, tilting her head to the side and kissed him back. The way his lips gently and lovingly caressed hers was enough to make (Name) desire more. Before the kiss could escalate anything further, Peter broke the kiss and turned his body back to face the table.

“There problem solved.” Peter ignored the blush that rose to his cheeks and the astonished look Ned gave him that practically screamed, “What the hell?!”.

(Name) sat there wordlessly with a smile despite the blush that rose to her cheeks as well.

Needless to say, Flash was no longer staring at (Name).


	8. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two more chapters to go~!

Ever since their first kiss, things between Peter and (Name) slowly started to change. They’d hold hands on the way to and from school, share the occasional kiss when no one was watching, and cuddle together on the couch with a good flick. The problem was, Peter hadn’t asked her to be his girlfriend, so he wasn’t sure whether or not he could call (Name) that. Peter didn’t really like labels, but he felt that having one on their relationship would ease the growing doubt in his mind. Especially when the other guys at school began to notice (Name) the same way he did.

Peter’s eyes followed (Name) as he watched her walking down the hallway with one of the other male students. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the way (Name) was smiling and laughing during their conversation, he couldn’t ignore the paranoia nagging at the back of his mind.

“Peter! Earth to Peter!” A voice called out, pulling Peter from his reverie.

“Huh?” Peter turned his attention back to Ned. “Sorry, what?”

Ned sighed and shook his head. It wasn’t that hard for Ned to figure out what was on Peter’s mind when he caught Peter stealing glances at (Name).

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Ned said. “You guys basically do the same stuff that couples do.”

“Yeah, I know but I don’t wanna rush her into anything, you know?” Peter said. “Besides, I don’t wanna just ask her out just because other guys are talking to her.”

“True, but you also don’t want to wait too long. Until you guys decide to make things official, (Name) is up for grabs.”

Peter stared at Ned, his expression turned sour. Sure, (Name) had become the object of Peter’s affections, but (Name) wasn’t some object to be claimed. She was her own person.

A beautiful, intelligent, and kind person. Peter stole another glance at (Name) as he watched her say goodbye to the male student before she approached Peter and Ned.

“Hey guys,” (Name) greeted Peter and Ned with a smile.

“Sooo,” Peter started. “What were you guys talkin’ about?”

“Oh, one of the seniors approached me and told me there’s supposed to be a back-to-school party this weekend at their house and he asked me if I wanted to go.”

“To go with him?” Peter said, the sound of disappointment evident in his voice.

“With you of course. Oh, and Ned too. He said I could invite whoever I wanted.”

“A party with other upperclassmen? Sweet, I’m in!” Ned grinned.

Peter’s shoulders visibly relaxed in relief and he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Maybe it’s a sign I should go for it and ask her at the party. Peter’s imagination went wild with speculations how the night would play out.

If only Peter knew that would be easier said than done.

[-]

Loud and crowded. Those were the only words that came to (Name)’s mind upon arriving at the party with Ned and Peter. The party was in full swing and filled with high school students drinking, dancing, sharing idle conversation or all the above. The atmosphere may have been new and a little daunting, but that wasn’t going to keep (Name) from having a good time.

“Do you want me to get you a drink?” Peter offered.

“Get me a what?” (Name) asked with confusion.

Peter pointed behind her towards the bowls of punch sitting on the kitchen island. (Name) smiled and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll take some. We’ll meet you over there.” (Name) pointed towards the dance floor before pushing Ned towards the dance floor. “Show me what moves you’ve got, Ned.”

“B-But I don’t have any!” Ned attempted to push back against (Name) only to end in futile, much to his surprise.

“Then I’ll teach you some. Don’t be scared.” (Name) said with a grin.

Peter laughed and shook his head in amusement before he made a beeline for the kitchen island to get some drinks.

“Can’t believe you’re at another one of these lame parties.” A familiar voice spoke behind him.

Peter looked over his shoulder briefly before he turned his attention back to the punch bowl.

“You’re here too, Michelle.” Peter said.

“Let’s meet in the middle and say that I’m not.” Michelle poured herself a drink after Peter finished.

“If you say so.”

“Whatever. I just came to warn you.”

Peter turned around to face Michelle, confusion evident on his face.

“Warn me about what?”

“Thought you might like to know that Liz is here.”

“WHAT?!” Peter’s jaw went slack for a moment, debating whether he heard Michelle correctly or not.

“Liz. Is. Here.” Michelle enunciated her words slowly.

“I heard you the first time. I-I thought she had transferred schools.”

“She did. Apparently, she’s visiting other family here for the weekend. Her words, not mine. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up.”

Michelle turned to leave but not before Peter called out to her. “Hey, wait!”

Michelle paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you know where she is?” Peter asked.

“No. I don’t. Good luck finding her.”

As Michelle walked off, Peter ran a hand through his hair as he tried to remain composed and calm despite feeling the exact opposite.

 _I need a minute to think._ Peter took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he picked up his drinks and headed over to (Name) and Ned on the dance floor.

“I’ll be back guys. I need to use the bathroom.” Peter handed (Name) her drink without waiting for a reply from them before he quickly maneuvered his way through the crowded room.

By the time Peter reached the other side of the room, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the woman Michelle had warned him about.

“L-Liz…hi.” Peter said breathlessly.

“Peter? Hey! It’s really good to see you!” Liz exclaimed with a kind smile.

“Yeah, you too. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places.” Peter returned the smile, albeit nervously. “So uh…how’ve you been?”

[-]

“Hey, Ned, who’s that girl with Peter over there?” (Name) looked over in Peter’s direction.

“What are you talk—” Ned paused mid-sentence when he spotted Liz talking to Peter on the other side of the room. “Holy shit. She’s back?!” Ned said alarmingly.

“Who is back?” (Name) urged Ned impatiently.

“Liz is back.”

“Is she a friend of Peter’s?”

“Well, sort of. It’s uh… kind of a long story. I’m not sure I should be the one telling you this.” Ned confessed.

“Why not?” (Name) shot Ned a dubious look.

She was curious and anxious to hear more about who this Liz was and her relationship with Peter.

“I’ll put it this way. Peter and Liz used to… they have history.”

(Name) and Ned continued to watch Peter from across the room chat with Liz before they shared a warm embrace.

“I see now what you meant by history.” (Name) stood there stock-still, her eyes completely transfixed on Peter and Liz as the pair walked away together and onto the balcony outside and away from the party.

“Uh…” Ned seemed to be at a loss for words.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave. Could you tell Peter I got a ride home and I’ll see him around?” (Name) swallowed the growing lump in her throat before she turned her heel and left the party.


End file.
